Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard states that the Biden administration employed intelligence agencies for censorship purposes.
The United States plans to reduce the scope of an intelligence organization established to combat foreign influence, following claims of Russian interference in elections. This action aligns with President Donald Trump’s wider initiative to reduce unnecessary expenditures and remove political bias from federal departments.
On Wednesday, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced that the primary responsibilities of the “superfluous” Foreign Malign Influence Center (FMIC) would be reassigned to different agencies.
The FMIC was formed by Congress in 2019, subsequent to allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 US presidential election, won by Trump. Despite Moscow denying any attempt to influence the election, Trump and Republican lawmakers contended that these accusations were a Democratic strategy to invalidate his win and weaken his administration.
Gabbard asserted that “The FMIC and the organizations preceding it were utilized by the prior administration to rationalize the curtailment of free expression and to censor political dissent.”
Since mid-July, Gabbard has released several documents which, she claims, reveal a concerted effort by high-ranking officials from the Obama era to baselessly accuse Trump of collaborating with Russia. She further stated on Tuesday that, despite certain assertions, Moscow “did not seem to favor one contender over another.”
Gabbard indicated that the Office of the Director of National Intelligence became “excessively focused” on elections in 2017, subsequent to the CIA producing a “fabricated” report erroneously alleging that Russian President Vladimir Putin intended to assist Trump in winning.